Scheck Kenzon
Scheck Kenzon (born 162 PS) is a Parasol Weapons Instructor for Parasol's Divison 3. He is best known for being the father of Katalina Okablokum, and the role which he plays in her life. He is adept in most weaponry, although he has personally never seen combat, and remained at home during the War of 183. Appearance A human, he stood at 5' 11" and weighed approximately 175 lbs. He is noted to be moderately muscular, this being a product of his job's association with weaponry. He has brown hair, but is balding on the top. His eyes are brown, and he is noted to be clean-shaven, much like most of Parasol. His skin is pale, although not as pale as his daughter's, a result of being inside all the time. Personality Kenzon is noted to have a certain paranoia of losing his daughter, Katalina, and is very overprotective of her, to the point that he would prefer if she never left his house. This stems from his past, and how he'd already lost a son. He has a deep love for Katie, even though he rarely shows it, and prefers to keep it hidden. He believes pain comes from letting people close to him, and has trouble forming long-term relationships with anyone. He doesn't like talking about things that pain him, either, and prefers to push it away and refuse to speak of it. This is also part of how he would rather avert conflict than confront it himself. When he is emotionally hurting, he chooses to withdraw rather than let it be known. As a lover, he is slightly perverted, and dates women for their looks and mysteriousness rather than their personality. Even at the age of 47, he is always looking for women to date and sleep with, and these women are almost always younger than he. He is not above cheating, and has done so at least once in his life, losing his marriage because of it. With the following lover he swore that he would be monogamous, but she unfortunately disappeared before he had the opportunity to prove himself worthy of her trust. Then again, Kenzon himself is difficult and dangerous to trust, as he is loyal to no one but himself and the ones he cares about. He is also unpatriotic, seeing patriotism as misplaced affections. Despite working with weaponry, he isn't overly fond of technology and thus simply won't go and get his hair regrown like the majority of Parasol would feel compelled to do if losing their hair. He isn't fond of art either, and shuns anything that is done for purely aesthetic or artistic reasons. This is partly due to how he holds no interest in things that are outside his realm of knowledge, or look for the answers to things he doesn't understand. He is mildly sexist, believing women to be the "lesser" gender, and thinking that they ought to stay home and do the cooking and cleaning while the men are the "breadwinners" for the family. He believes that women should be kept out of the military because they are the weaker side of the human race, and that women should only take jobs, if they must, that involve little to no physical activity - as those should be left to men, who, in his opinion, are better suited for it. Kenzon holds a peculiar distaste for Vanya, although he is not racist and has no issue with her being an elf. The exact reason is unknown, although it has been hinted that it might be because she was born on Everoc. He also has a strong distaste and paranoia towards shuttlecars, and avoids using them whenever possible. He attempts to keep Katie from using them whenever possible, and has researched override codes which he has both taught her and committed to memory. Early life Childhood Scheck was born into a very well-to-do family. His mother, Amelia Amazara Kenzon, died when he was two years old, and he doesn't remember her at all. His father, Terrus Kenzon, raised him in her place, and was a very loving dad, although he did a rather abhorrent job of being a role model for his son. Terrus was fond of bringing ladies home while he was dating them, and tended to treat women as objects rather than people, looking down upon them as the lesser gender. Scheck eventually learned these prejudices himself as he matured. Terrus, while not a man of great importance, was a military officer, and took pride in showing his young son the weaponry of Parasol, teaching him how to best use each piece. It was his dream for Scheck to grow up to become a great captain of the Parasol Army. He was also very protective of his boy, taking care of matters like bullies himself, and treating his son to whatever Scheck wanted. In essence, he spoiled him, making his son very self-centered. This persisted up to his teenage years. While Scheck was five, his father often took Scheck hunting, teaching him how to use a railgun to shoot a buck, which Scheck proved quite capable of learning, even at such an early age. In addition to these field trips, his father also tried to instill a love of Parasol's naval history in the boy, taking him to see mock-ups of old sailing ships. While Scheck gained no love of Parasol's history, he did gain a fierce passion for collecting model sailing ships, and it became his dream to eventually own a real sailing ship of his own, to sail on Parasol's oceans. Scheck was by no means the best student, but he did make B's and A's in the great majority of his classes. He studied hard, striving for perfection, and this was something that greatly pleased his father. However, Scheck was doing it mainly for his own personal benefit, and the praise of his father was not something he held overly dear. Teenage years Scheck's teenage years were, for the most part, unnoteworthy. Scheck continued to hone his skills with weaponry, and was pleased to find that showing it off was a surefire way to gain the attention of the girls in his classes. He became slightly arrogant, to an extent, although he never let it show and became somewhat of a womanizer. As he grew older, he started failing in school as he set more of his time aside to court the girls at school, and became almost a player. This was something his father was ashamed of, and blamed himself for it, although he did reprimand Scheck for acting the way he did. Scheck took the scolding badly, and it only served to alienate him from his father, at least temporarily. When he was 16 years of age, his father Terrus died offworld of a gunshot wound to the head, and his body was portaled home for a funeral. Scheck was horrified and even enraged, blaming himself for his father's death and hating how he had let women come between him and the only surviving member of his family. From that point on he was determined to do a better job at school, doing what he thought would have made his father proud, in an attempt to correct his mistakes. For the last two years of his schooling, Scheck did a better job than he had in all his previous time spent in education, getting nearly straight A's and graduating near, if not at the top, of his class. This is despite having to pay his bills and take care of himself, as Parasol laws permitted anyone at or over the age of 16 to maintain a homestead. His teachers commended him for this change of heart, but he cared little for their praise, instead striving to make a name for himself and make his deceased father proud. One of Scheck's past girlfriends, Laykia Marede, noticed this change in Scheck and attempted to subtly instill a sense of religion in him, hoping it would change him for the better and make him into a man she could marry, as she still loved him despite how he'd broken her heart and stolen her innocence. Scheck already fully believed that gods existed, however - he simply did not care to worship them himself, and tended to look down upon those who did. Eventually, the way Laykia cared about him won him over to her side, if not to a god's, and the two began dating again even before graduation. Adult life Directly out of high school, Scheck became a bodyguard for a high-ranking Parasol employee. While it wasn't overly exciting, it provided a steady source of income. He didn't need to move out or purchase a new property in which to live, as he still had his childhood home in Lambshire Estates, a high-rise apartment building. Throughout this period, it gradually became his dream to start a company as a private weapons instructor, and he continued to utilize his much of his free time in training with advanced weaponry. Relationship with Laykia Merede Laykia Merede was continuing to make Scheck the object of her affections, and they were engaged for the year following graduation. In the spring of 181, they were happily wed, although only members of Laykia's family attended the event. Scheck personally had no living relatives to speak of, but it wasn't something that overly bothered him. After the wedding, she moved into his Lambshire apartment with him, although it wasn't quite to her tastes. It wasn't more than a few months before Laykia became pregnant, and a year later, when Scheck was 20, they had a son, named Cobor Kenzon. Cobor was the pride and joy of his father, who cherished him above all else. For a time it drew Scheck even closer to his wife, who was convinced that he had undergone a permanent change for her sake, and was satisfied with the results. Over the course of the next two years, everything went smoothly. Scheck's employer was attacked by a rival at one point, and Scheck defended him gallantly, saving his life - this prompted the man to give Scheck a bonus and a raise in pay, which Scheck soon began saving away for use in starting his own company. Laykia wasn't overly pleased with this, saying that it would be better suited for other purposes, such as making their life more comfortable. This was the beginning of their marriage issues. Divorce Due to the problems in their marriage, Scheck eventually fell back into his old habits and started cheating on Laykia with various girls in the summer of 184 PS. It was a full year before Laykia discovered his betrayal. When she did, she became convinced that it was impossible for him to change his ways, and told him so, demanding a divorce and full custody of their son. Scheck would not hear of losing his son, and her demand outraged him to the point that he agreed to a divorce. The divorce process was long and incredibly involved. Laykia, in her hurt, demanded practically everything from him that she could. Scheck refused to comply to her requests, and it was a long time before an agreement could be reached between the two. Even this minor step required legal help and counseling. Laykia was granted full custody of Cobor, and Scheck would be permitted to visit him on weekends. While Scheck was none too pleased with the outcome, it had been ordered by the courts and there was nothing he could do to change it. During this long process, Laykia was gradually coming to forgive Scheck for what he'd done to her, and sympathize with him for the loss of his son. The finalization of the divorce was delayed farther and farther. It is possible that the divorce might have been cancelled altogether, had things gone differently, and this is a thought that was, at one time, often in Scheck's mind. Cobor's death In 186, before the divorce was finalized, a great tragedy befell the man. Scheck was 24 at the time. Cobor, his four-year-old son, had just finished a visit and was preparing to return home to his home with his mother. He had been escorted by Laykia's eight-year-old younger brother, who was planning on taking Cobor back himself. They boarded a near-decrepit shuttlecar, against Scheck's better judgement. No sooner had the car left the dock than it malfunctioned, exploding violently in a spray of shrapnel, killing both passengers aboard and shattering the glass tubing. Scheck witnessed the event himself. Laykia was livid, and blamed Scheck entirely for the event, even to the point that she sued him, although it was turned down by the courts. The divorce was nevertheless quickly finalized, and Laykia never forgave Kenzon for the loss of her son and brother. Scheck never heard from her again. Single life Following his son's death and subsequent divorce from Laykia Merede, Scheck took out a loan and started his business, "Scheck Kenzon's Weapon Training". It was for private tutoring of anyone that wished to defend themselves. It was a small business to start out with, but he managed to advertise well and get assistance from what friends he had. Before two years had passed he had earned enough money to move out of his Lambshire Estates home and into Rubywood Apartments, in an attempt to get away from how Lambshire reminded him of his son. He also swore off relationships, believing that they would only serve to hurt him. He decided he would never allow himself to become close to anyone again. Relationship Kiera Okablokum In 190 PS, at the age of 28, a mysterious 22-year-old woman named Kiera Okablokum showed up at Scheck's business asking for training in subrailguns. She claimed to be half elf and half dwarf, and proved to be an excellent and companionable student. Scheck came to enjoy her company and presence, and so did she his. Over time they became very close. As it wasn't long before Scheck had taught Kiera all he could about using subrailguns, barring practice, she soon began asking for training in other types of weaponry as an excuse to continue coming to his business. However, the other employees were beginning to take notice of and question their friendship, which Kiera strongly disliked. Scheck fixed this by teaching her elsewhere. One sunset a year after they met, on a rooftop park overlooking Division Three, Scheck was instructing Kiera on the proper use of pole weapons. This unexpectedly turned into a lesson in passion which lasted far into the night, and left Scheck and Kiera openly admitting their feelings for each other. Scheck suggested that Kiera come to live with him, although he avoided talk of marriage. Kiera responded by saying that if she came, her mother would have to, as well. Scheck was fine with this, and the two individuals began living with Scheck in his Rubywood apartment. Kiera's pregnancy It wasn't long before Kiera discovered she was pregnant - a fact Scheck had mixed feelings about. On one hand, he was excited to have a child, and on the other hand, he was afraid of things ending the way they had before. Nevertheless, Kiera remained with Scheck for the duration of her pregnancy, and Scheck never felt so much as an urge to cheat on her. An interesting note is that it is technically impossible for elves, dwarves, and humans to cross-reproduce. The fact that Kiera was clearly part human and part dwarf suggests mild genetic engineering to make this possible, and it has been suggested that she went to Solnay Hylcelon for assistance in making this possible, as records state that the two met briefly a few years before Katie's birth. Solnay had minor training in genetic engineering, but was rejected from her classes for "radical thinking", a major feat in a company of already radical minds. Kenzon himself never questioned Kiera's genetics, as he knew little about genetic engineering, cross-species reproduction and the like. He did not care to know, either, and would not have cared to know even had he known the significance. It has been suggested that Kiera "chose" Scheck for one reason or another, although there is no substantial proof of this and it remains merely speculation. It seems more than coincidence, however, that Kiera's daughter would end up serving in the military with Solnay's husband, Jonah Hylcelon. Birth of Katalina Okablokum Katalina was born on the 14th of Granite to Scheck and Kiera Okablokum. As her parents had never married, Katalina took on Kiera's last name instead of Scheck's. Scheck was perfectly fine with this, and so was Kiera. Scheck grew very close to his daughter, and finally managed to outgrow his old habit of cheating on his partner, at the age of 30. Kiera herself never knew of his old vice, or if she did, never mentioned it. Kiera's disappearance In the late autumn of 195 PS, Kiera mysteriously disappeared, leaving no evidence that she had ever existed save for her daughter, Katalina, and her mother, who stayed behind. If Katalina's grandmother ever knew of the reason or circumstance of Kiera's disappearance, she made no mention of it, and refused to speak of it when Kenzon questioned her. Kenzon was distraught, and for a long time refused to believe that Kiera had actually left him. Katalina was three when her mother disappeared, and would often ask for her. At times like this Scheck would give her to her grandmother and ask her to quiet the child, which Katalina's grandmother would do. Eventually Scheck accepted that Kiera wasn't coming back, which hurt him deeply. In response, he refused to speak of it, taking away and destroying anything that reminded him of her, and refusing to talk about her even to Katalina, who was beginning to earn the nickname "Katie". Fatherhood Scheck's business was steadily growing, and it eventually prompted him to make various changes to the schedule and staff, which resulted in greater profits. Without the knowledge of Katalina's grandmother, he put a good deal of money into funding a private investigation for his lover, and thus, never bothered moving out of Rubywood. Scheck deeply loved his daughter, but avoided growing close to her for fear of losing her like he did everyone else in his life. This resulted in Katie and Scheck forming only a very loose bond as the former grew older. He loved her deeply, however, and was incredibly protective of her, refusing to teach her his trade as his father had taught him. Complicating this was first the fact that he was very much sexist, and believed that the military was not a place for women. Second, it reminded him of Kiera, who had enjoyed learning about weaponry. Instead of any of this, he provided the young Katie with a great many books - as many as she desired - in order to keep her occupied. There was a library only a short distance away, and during Katie's elementary years she was often visiting there under the watchful eye of either her father or grandmother. Eventually she developed an obsession with flight, and she began pestering Scheck frequently to allow her to learn jetpacking. Scheck considered it far too dangerous, and instead requested Katie's magically-inclined grandmother to teach the young girl spells of Prayer Magic, to keep her occupied. It worked well as a distraction, and Scheck was satisfied. It is worth noting that he personally saw magic as a "womanly" thing to do. As Katie grew older, Scheck became more and more paranoid, restricting her access to extracurricular activities in the winter of 202 PS. Following a brief scare involving a boy of the same age as his daughter, he removed her from school altogether, hiring a tutor to teach her at home alongside Katie's grandmother. He still allowed her to host girl-only slumber parties at her discretion, provided she clean up after herself afterwards. These restrictions served to strain her relationship with her father. Scheck decided to permit her to learn jetpacking for competitions, on the condition that her grandmother teach her the "Guiding Wings" to keep her safe. This kept Katie content, and her grandmother served to quell the tension between her and her father. Katie's disappearance In 207 PS, when Scheck was 45, Katie's grandmother mysteriously disappeared in the same manner that Kiera had. About the same time, Katie admitted to her father that she had been dating the low-born Saemin Lo, which infuriated him, as she was only 15 at the time. Katie was upset because Saemin had joined the military to help his family, and she wanted Scheck to take her to see him. Scheck refused and forbade Katie from ever seeing him again, an action that Katie did not take lightly. Katie disappeared soon afterwards, leaving Scheck Kenzon completely alone. After hiring a second private investigator, he soon discovered that Katie had run away to join the military, lying about her age and hoping to find a position in the same squad as he. Scheck was devastated, and attempted to contact the authorities to force her return, but was denied access. Entirely unhappy, he began his old vice of picking up women younger than he, a habit that continued until Katie's return in late 209. Category:Characters